Connor McGrath
WWF Monday Night RAW
August 21st, 1995 (Taped August 14th, 1995)
From The Memorial Auditorium in Worcester, Massachusetts
Announcers: Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler
Well, it’s three weeks before the start of the Monday Night War and RAW the two weeks after this was pre-empted by the U.S. Open so that means this is the last edition of RAW Before The War. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this over the past eight and a half months as much as I enjoyed writing this! Stay tuned to Culture Crossfire for future articles. But first, let’s get to ringside for the last RAW Before The War!
Show starts off with a clip from Superstars this weekend of Kama beating up one of The Undertaker’s Creatures of the Night. For years, I insisted the Creature was a young Nunzio but watching it again, I’m not sure. At SummerSlam, “The Supreme Fighting Machine” Kama will take on The Undertaker in a casket match but tonight, The Undertaker takes on Tatanka! The Undertaker says that tonight the death march to SummerSlam will start!
A group of job guys carry King Mabel to the ring while Sir Mo leads the way. In six days, Mabel faces Diesel for the WWF World Title. Tonight is his last tuneup!
Men on a Mission Vs Roy Raymond & Joe Hanlock
King Mabel being the #1 World Title Contender still seems random as hell but maybe it’ll seem less random as hell after tonight’s show. Men on a Mission dominate the jabronis. Heel MOM’s work reminds me of a sloppier version of The Headshrinkers. I wonder how differently Mabel’s career would have turned out if WWF had a strong developmental territory twenty years ago. King Mabel gets the pin with a belly to belly suplex and then stands on the jobber. Ouch!
Mabel cuts a promo and declares him and Mo the greatest WWF Tag Team Champs of all time.Yeah, that two day period where they had the titles after Mabel accidentally fell on Quebecer Pierre was something else! Mabel issues out a challenge to the Allied Powers for a match right now to tune up for SummerSlam ’95. Mabel really does sound like Fat Albert. Allied Powers don’t answer the challenge but Vince confirms they are here and we’ll find out if they accept the challenge in a little bit!
Dean Douglas is in WWF Studios. He applauds King Mabel. Dean Douglas thinks Mabel will be the new WWF World Champion at SummerSlam and it’ll be class dismissed for Big Daddy Cool.
Vince says Dean Douglas will be critiquing some matches live at SummerSlam ’95. Boy, bet that drove up the buyrates. Vince McMahon says he’ll be chatting live on America Online later tonight after the show.
Ad for the next episode of RAW on 9/11/95, SID will be facing the winner of Shawn Michaels Vs Razor Ramon at SummerSlam for the Intercontinental Title.
The 123 Kid Vs The Brooklyn Brawler
Brawler actually looks strong to start, jumping Kid before the bell and dominating the first few minutes of the match. Lawler and Vince talk about Mike Tyson’s 89 second knockout of Peter McNeely. THERE’LL BE NO RIPOFFS LIKE THAT AT SUMMERSLAM ’95! I don’t know, think I’d rather watch Tyson-McNeely again over Diesel Vs King Mabel. This match borrows the mid ’90s Randy Savage match formula with Kid getting beatup for 80% of the match before hitting a quick flurry for the win. He gets a rollup on Brawler for the win. Can he pull off a victory against Hakushi at SummerSlam!? Lawler makes fun of some poor teenager’s braces saying it’s the work of Issac Yankem. He then makes fun of 123 Kid’s zits. Vince erases them with a Stridex pad. Also totally not a coincidence that Stridex is the sponsor of SummerSlam ’95!
We see footage of Ted DiBiase getting slopped by Henry O. Godwinn last week. You can bet Million Dollar Man will have revenge on his mind tonight as he manages Tatanka against Undertaker tonight. Speaking of Taker, Barry Didinsky shills the new Undertaker “Rest in Peace” t-shirt.
The Undertaker Vs Tatanka (with Ted DiBiase)
The Undertaker mauls Tatanka to start off the match. Taker’s still pissed that Kama man handled one of the Creatures. Gorilla Monsoon announced that Undertaker Vs Kama would be a casket match last night. Undertaker is so mad that he even frightens poor Earl Hebner. Jerry Lawler thinks that Undertaker can be beaten! It only took nine guys to put him in a casket at Royal Rumble ’94 and you know the Million Dollar Corporation will be there on Sunday! Lawler says Undertaker will quit just like the first female cadet admitted to the Citadel quit. Jerry “The Misogynist” Lawler? Lawler then makes fun of the then recent death of Jerry Garcia and Vince is APPALLED. Vinnie Mac is a Deadhead!? Chokeslam and Tombstone finishes Tatanka.
Todd Pettingell is here with our last SummerSlam Insider before the PPV. He looks like a substitute teacher with his khaki jacket with shirt and tie underneath look. We get a look inside the Office of Dr. Issac Yankem DDS. Yankem is out of his office because he’s preparing for his match with Bret Hart on Sunday. Bret Hart says he’s going to beat Issac Yankem for all of the non-evil dentists out there!
Men on a Mission want to know where The Allied Powers are. The British Bulldog is up to accept their challenge but Lex Luger is nowhere to be found. Perhaps, he’s booking a flight to Minneapolis for Labor Day Weekend…
Ad for the new season of Monday Night RAW, premiering on September 11th. This ad tries claiming that Monday Night RAW has been home to award winning broadcast journalists. As Gorilla Monsoon would say…highly unlikely.
Jean Pierre Lafitte Vs Scott Taylor
Laffitte jumps the future WWF Light Heavyweight Champ at the bell. Taylor gets some offense and Lawler asks if he thinks he’s Barry Horowitz. McMahon thinks Lafitte isn’t a pirate but a THIEF! Issac Yankem drapes the skull & crossbones flag over Taylor then wins with the Cannonball.
We get another look at the strange new WWF superstar Goldust. He calls out Shawn Michaels. Considering their gimmicks, it’s weird that those two never actually had a feud. Although they did have a house show program in the Spring/Summer of ’96, including a few ladder matches. No feud that really made it onto TV though. Lawler says the internet lit up after Goldust’s first appearance and Vince McMahon will hear about it when he chats on AOL after tonight’s show.
Speaking of McMahon, he’s in the ring to interview the WWF World Champion Diesel! Diesel says the big cat is back in action and ready to take on big Mabel. WWF is still gonna be running on Diesel Power after next week. British Bulldog walks in to wish Diesel some good luck on his match at SummerSlam! However, he’s really here to ask Diesel to be his partner against MOM since Lex Luger is nowhere to be found. Diesel would love to team up with The Bulldog. We got a tag team main event, playa!
Men on a Mission Vs Diesel & “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith
King Mabel and Diesel start it off. SummerSlam has come early! But wait, The British Bulldog attacks Diesel. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!? Vince is APPALLED. Jim Cornette yuks it up. What is he doing here!? Bulldog slaps Diesel around. Lawler says this all part of a Royal Plan! Mabel hugs it out with Bulldog. WHY!? WHY!? Mabel celebrates with the WWF World Title. Where are Shawn Michaels and Lex Luger? Is there a conspiracy?
Lawler celebrates in the back with MOM and British Bulldog. Mabel is celebrating with the World Title. Bulldog won’t tell us why he turned and Jim Cornette says the surprises will keep on coming. Mabel says this is just the first step of a Royal Plan! On Sunday, Mabel says the World Title is going to be around his “slim waist” for real. Vince McMahon narrates footage of what just happened. He tells us RAW will return on September 11th! Enjoy SummerSlam and the U.S. Open everybody!
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